


traumatic navel-gazing

by arthur_pendragon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Drabble, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 13:19:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18053246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthur_pendragon/pseuds/arthur_pendragon
Summary: “You know,” Merlin mused, “one of these days you’re going to have to be utterly honest with yourself about your feelings for me.”





	traumatic navel-gazing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cupidty11](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupidty11/gifts).



> for cupidty11 (I'm so sorry for the wait! I hope it was worth it!!)

“You know,” Merlin mused, “one of these days you’re going to have to be utterly honest with yourself about your feelings for me.”

Arthur rolled his eyes but neither replied nor looked up from the (“riveting, Merlin, far more so than your jejune chatter”) crop report that Merlin knew was really just a piece of blank parchment Arthur was using as an excuse not to laugh.

“And the shock of actually confronting your emotions, of which you have surprisingly more than one, might just kill you,” Merlin continued. It was fun to try and rile his king up in the mornings, it was, especially since Arthur let Merlin lounge in his unmade bed and yawn all over the place and nibble at his breakfast until it was time for patrol or training or any other of a seemingly endless number of royal duties — and Merlin was curious to find out when Arthur’s supply of patience with him would run out.

“Goodness knows you’d have a field day if that were ever to happen,” Arthur muttered, setting aside the blank parchment and picking up a new one, equally blank, this one to hide his smile. Merlin snorted.

“You’re not wrong there.”

“I hasten to remind you, Merlin, that dreaming about your king’s death out loud — and in _front_ of the man himself — is tantamount to treason, and as a consequence I am very much within my rights to sack and execute you at once.”

“Do you come up with all these long, droning sentences by yourself? I know I’ve been keeping your speeches snappy, so it’s not _my_ fault you’re such a bore when you open your mouth.”

“ _Mer_ lin.” But Arthur was grinning openly now as he met Merlin’s eyes.

“Oh, go on, kill me already.”

Arthur didn’t speak for a while, gaze softening. Merlin returned the long stare, a bit more pensively. Arthur, speechless? Next he would hear of Gwaine’s marriage to sobriety.

“Of course I won’t execute you,” Arthur mumbled, when Merlin’s thoughtfulness changed to outright concern.

All the concern vanished to be replaced by glee. “Shame. And I’d come in here all set to be murdered, too.”

“No, I couldn’t possibly; I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

There was a pause, in which Merlin frowned very hard and did not start weeping like a maiden no matter how badly Arthur’s confession made him want to. He slowly went over to his king, sat down at the table beside him, and without a word rested his head on Arthur’s shoulder.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Arthur exclaimed, casting his limbs, his fingers a mock wonderstruck glance. “I’m still alive! What a miracle.”

So Merlin simply had to pinch him.


End file.
